Medical Neuroscience. Kevin Lee, Course Director for Medical
Neuroscience, updated the Committee on revisions made to the course,
measurable outcomes of these revisions, and plans for 2001 and beyond.
Tom Bleck is the Clinical Coordinator and Andy Wolf the new Clinical
Associate for Medical Neuroscience.

The Neuroscience course has been adjusted in both content, amount of
course hours and distribution of these hours. The course has been
reorganized, striving for integration with anatomy, physiology,
molecular genetics, and including an introduction to disease processes
and clinical presentation. Lectures were trimmed with the intent of
eliminating detail deemed excessive for medical students.

Increases in small group and laboratory activities have been limited by
the relatively small number of neuroscience faculty. The small
group/clinical problem sessions attempt to reinforce basic concepts in
the organization of the nervous system and it's blood supply, develop a
basic understanding of the neurologic examination, foster thought
process used in evaluating neurologic disorders, provide basic
introduction to the clinical presentation of a variety of neurological
disorders and complement lecture/reading material regarding the
physiology and pathology of common neurologic disorders. Small group
sessions were poorly attended in the 2000 year which is thought to be
due to the fact that answers to the case discussions were included in
the book.

Changes from 1999 to 2000 include:

Reduced total student contact hours by 15% (13 hours)

Reduced lecture hours by 31% (19 hours)

Increased small group sessions by 25% (expanded from 4 to 5
sessions)

New course director (K. Lee)

Added Clinical Coordinator (T. Bleck)

Changed primary text from Steward to Purves et al.

Added Manter and Gatz "essentials" book for overview and
review

Added Jozefowicz book for clinical problem sessions

Added "disease subthemes" to basic science lectures

Changes coming in 2001:

Reduced total student contact hours by 6% (4 hours)

Reduced lecture hours by 4% (1.5 hours)

New edition of Purves et al.

Changed from Digital Anatomist to Sylvius software

Changed from Jozewowicz to clinical problems without answers

Added sample radiology films to clinical problems

Added sample radiology to laboratory

Added advisor (A. Wolf)

Course Hour Summary:

1999

2000

2001

Total Course

85.25

73.25

67.25

Lecture

61

42

40.5

Sm Grp

7

8.75

8

Laboratory

6.5

6

5

Clinical Correlation

10.75

16.5

13.75

Grade distribution has remained fairly consistent 1997 through
2000.
Previous USMLE Part I scores for neuroscience have been high and this
will be evaluated after the 2000 results are available. Student
evaluations have not been positive either before or after the
changes.

What would help:

1) Problem free, guaranteed room assignments for small group
medical education. LCD's in each small group room.

2) Clarification of outcome-based criteria for quality of teaching.
- (Giving quality teaching more importance in tenure and promotion
decisions)

The Curriculum Committee encouraged the neuroscience course
directors to strive for more interaction with PoM-1 and Pharmacology.
The basic neurologic exam might be taught/reinforced during PoM-1
sessions.

The Committee expressed thanks to Kevin Lee for an excellent
presentation.